Boat capsizes off the coast of Tampa

A man is dead after his boat capsized off the coast of Pinellas County in Florida on December 2. Stephen Chadwick and Joseph Citro were taking their boat to meet friends on an island in the Gulf of Mexico when it began taking on water, capsized and sank. Chadwick and Citro decided to swim for shore, but Chadwick died hours after reaching the beach. Citro was taken to hospital but was later released.

It's unclear why the 10 foot aluminum boat sank. The incident occurred only an hour after the boatmen left shore. The passengers had initially tried to hold onto the hull, but later let go and tried to return to land. When they arrived, Citro attempted CPR on Chadwick, but was unable to revive him.

"He looked cold and in shock," Scott Hahn, a resident who with his family witnessed rescue crews trying to save Chadwick, told The Bradenton Herald. "We saw him and then we took the girls and we didn't want to be a part of that. The emergency people were here."

Incidents like this are a reminder that it is an absolute necessity to practice good boat safety, no matter how familiar you may be with your vessel or the waters you are navigating. You should always make sure your boat is equipped with life vests as well as marine instruments and electronics, such as those sold by ePal, that allow you to communicate with the U.S. Coast Guard ashore. Leaving these items behind can put you and your crews' lives at risk.